I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?
The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.
On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.
I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?
To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.
The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?
To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.
Why is my domain name in quarantine?
When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.
One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.
Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?
Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.
What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?
Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.
Social distancing is driving migration to online activities
Wednesday 22 April 2020
Almost everything has been directly or indirectly affected by the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Including the market for domain names and websites. Some market players have experienced a downturn, while others have seen increased demand for online services. That mixed picture comes from a survey of hosting providers and SMEs that we recently commissioned. Meanwhile, our own data shows that the overall number of domain names in the Netherlands continues to grow at about the same rate as before the crisis.
Since the restrictions came into force, Dutch people and businesses have registered just over 85,000 .nl domain names. That's ten thousand up on the same period in 2019. A small proportion of the names – 2 or 3 per cent – are COVID-19-related. The vast majority of registrations have no connection to the crisis, however. The same period saw a small rise in the number of players directly offering .nl registrations, from 1,186 to 1,206. While registrations were up, cancellations also increased in March. That observation should be interpreted cautiously, however: a cancellation spike is normal at the end of the calendar quarter. Demand has continued to rise as April has gone on.
Start-ups all planning to trade online
Demand growth is being driven mainly by business registrations, particularly start-ups. In a questionnaire-based survey conducted for us by research bureau GfK, all the start-ups who responded said that they had registered their domain names for use in online business activities. It's the first time that no survey respondents have said they were planning offline business start-ups. That may well reflect the circumstances surrounding the current pandemic.
Sharp rise in demand for websites and webshops
While the demand for domain names remains fairly steady, the demand for business mailboxes, websites and webshops is definitely up. Last week, website builder Wix.comreported significantly stronger demand as companies adjusted their priorities in favour of online activities. Dutch market players have experienced a similar shift: before March of this year, 30 per cent of all domain names were being used for mail or websites, but service providers are reporting active use levels of 40 to 50 per cent for new registrations. That seems to be mainly due to the creation of new webshops.
.nl popular with local and regional providers
Many of the businesses now starting up online are targeting regional or local markets. That's one of the reasons why the proportion preferring .nl to the more international .com rose from 69 per cent to 76 per cent. Firms with international ambitions still tend to opt for .com. Interest in other extensions (.eu, .net, .org) is down.
Cybersecurity increasingly important
Another striking trend is the increasing importance attached to cybersecurity. Nearly 30 per cent of businesses rated the threat from cybercrime as significant. However, it's hard to assess the extent to which that reflects increased dependency on the internet since the imposition of social distancing measures. Survey respondents' replies suggest that a high-profile ransomware incident involving the University of Maastricht has also played a role. Indeed, ransomware is now seen as the biggest single security threat to businesses.
Some online activities suffering
Unfortunately, despite what the findings outlined above might suggest, not all internet-based business activities are thriving. Some service providers report that conditions are difficult for their customers. Website builder Wix.com expects that the previously mentioned demand upturn will be cancelled out by a decline in business from the travel and leisure industries, for example. The world's biggest registrar, GoDaddy, is also predicting a small earnings dip in the second quarter.
Netherlands benefits from internet strength
Perhaps the standout conclusion to date is that the Netherlands appears to be benefitting from the great strength of its internet infrastructure. The country's high website and domain name densities, the comprehensive range of online services and the near-universal availability of broadband access are crucial enabling factors. We have a landscape that offers opportunities, where local and regional market players are able to develop online activities for which there was previously little demand.
